US 8,771,387 B2Granted

Systems and methods for solar-thermal gasification of biomass

AssigneeSundrop Fuels, Inc.

InventorsWayne Simmons, Christopher Perkins, Zoran Jovanovic

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Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical plant that may include a solar thermal receiver having a cavity with an inner wall, where the solar thermal receiver is aligned to absorb concentrated solar energy from one or more of 1) an array of heliostats, 2) solar concentrating dishes, and 3) any combination of the two. Some embodiments may include a solar-driven chemical reactor having multiple reactor tubes located inside the cavity of solar thermal receiver, wherein a chemical reaction driven by radiant heat occurs in the multiple reactor tubes, and wherein particles of biomass are gasified in the presence of a steam (H2O) carrier gas and methane (CH4) in a simultaneous steam reformation and steam biomass gasification reaction to produce reaction products that include hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas using the solar thermal energy from the absorbed concentrated solar energy in the multiple reactor tubes.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A chemical reactor driven by radiant heat with an exit temperature of product gases greater than 900 degrees C., comprising:

a radiant heat-driven chemical reactor having multiple reactor tubes located inside a cavity of a thermal receiver configured to gasify particles of biomass in a presence of steam (H2O) to produce a low CO2 synthesis gas that includes hydrogen, carbon monoxide gas, and less than 7% CO2 by total volume generated in a gasification reaction of the particles of biomass using thermal energy from the radiant heat, where the chemical reactor is in fluid communication with a source of the steam, wherein the multiple reactor tubes and the thermal receiver are configured to cooperate such that heat is radiantly transferred to the particles of biomass in order to provide enough energy required for the gasification reaction of the particles of biomass to drive the gasification reaction primarily with radiant heat to produce the low CO2 synthesis gas;
a steam reformer in fluid communication with a source of methane-based gas, where the steam reformer is configured to produce reformate that includes hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas;
a mixer in fluid communication with the chemical reactor and steam reformer that is configured for mixing of the reformate and biomass gasification products to produce a combined low CO2 synthesis gas having a molar H2:CO ratio of between 2.0-3.0, as well as eliminates any need for a component downstream of the chemical reactor to perform a water-gas-shift reaction;
an on-site fuel synthesis reactor in fluid communication with an outlet of the mixer;
a lock hopper containing the particles of biomass;
and
a splitting device configured to supply the particles of biomass from the lock hopper to two or more feed lines in an entrained-flow biomass feed system, wherein the entrained-flow biomass feed system is configured to use an entrainment carrier gas to move the particles of biomass into the radiant heat driven chemical reactor, where the two or more feed lines are configured to supply the particles of biomass having an average smallest dimension the particles of equal to or less than 2000 um to the chemical reactor.

4 more elements

A radiant heat-driven reactor located inside a receiver, comprising:

a cavity that transforms radiant energy into thermal energy, where the receiver encloses multiple reactor tubes of the radiant heat-driven reactor, and the reactor tubes are configured for reactant gases consisting of 1) methane, 2) natural gas, 3) steam, or 4) any combination of the three to pass through a heat transfer aid configured to cause a steam methane reaction using the thermal energy from the radiant energy;
wherein the heat transfer aid is configured to heat the reactant gases, where the heat transfer aid is one or more of the following located inside each reactor tube:
a fluidized bed of inert particles, a reticulate porous ceramic (RPC) foam, a ceramic monolith, ceramic tubes or aerogels, open structured packed rings including Raschig rings, gauze or wire constructed of a high temperature-resistant material, and any combination of these;
and
wherein radiation is a primary mode of heat transfer to the heat transfer aids from the walls of the reactor tubes, and conduction, convection, or some combination of the two is a secondary mode of heat transfer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/796,045Filed 8 Jun 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 9 Jun 2009
Published: US 2010/0237291 A123 Sep 2010
Granted: 8 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification94 codes

C01B 3/384
Using catalysts: with external heating of the catalyst
B01J 19/0013
Controlling or regulating processes: controlling the temperature of the process
B01J 19/0033
Controlling or regulating processes: optimalisation processes, i.e. processes with adaptive control systems
B01J 19/2445
Stationary reactors without moving elements inside: placed in parallel

Family

Application61/185,492Us provisional application · filed 9 Jun 2009
Application61/248,282Us provisional application · filed 2 Oct 2009
US 2010/0237291 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Sep 2010
US 8,771,387 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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